The application process

Grant applications can be found and are submitted through
our online system.
If you are using the system for the first time you will need to register your
details before filling out a grant application form.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome
of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date. Please see
the guidelines page for the grant category you are interested in for more
details.

Yes, if you have support materials such as letters from project
partners, collaborators or participants that are in languages other than
English (including Auslan), we can arrange translation or captioning.

Please contact the Grants Team at
least four weeks before the closing date of the grant round to which you are
intending to make an application. If you do not contact us at least four weeks before
the closing date, we may not have sufficient time to meet your translation
needs.

Our online application form also has a checkbox at the top which
you can tick if you have attached materials in a language other than English.
This alerts the Grants Team that you have submitted these materials.

You
will receive your grant payment within two weeks of accepting your funding
agreement. Please note we pay our grants in the financial year which they are
approved. We will not adjust payment timelines to the particular circumstances
of individuals.

We do not amend, correct, update or change
any part of your application once it has been submitted. However, if you
receive additional confirmations for activities or artists after the closing
date you may alert us to these, and we can bring them to the attention of peer
assessors at the assessment meeting. These updates could include confirmation
that a proposed activity will take place, a partnership has been secured, or
funding from another source has been received.

You can update us about such confirmations by
emailing us at enquiries@australiacouncil.gov.au. Briefly describe the nature of the confirmation and cite
your application reference number. You do not need to send us copies of
confirmation emails from third parties – if we need to see evidence of the
confirmation we will request it.

If you wish to update your application once it has been
submitted, but the closing date has not yet passed, you can submit a new,
updated application and request to withdraw the original one by emailing operationsservicedesk@australiacouncil.gov.au

The
deadline for applications is midnight (Sydney time) on the closing date. We
strongly recommend submitting before this. Grant advice and technical support
is only provided during business hours and up until 5:00pm on the closing date.
Late applications will not be accepted.

We do not accept applications submitted via post. Any
material received by post will not be assessed and will be returned to the
sender. If you think you will have difficulty submitting your application
online, please contact a Grants Officer.

We provide funding to practising artists or artsworkers.
While you may not regularly earn income from your practice, you must be
identified and recognised by your peers as a practising artist or artsworker.
This may include cultural practitioners, editors, producers, curators and arts
managers.

No.
Although applicants may submit a maximum of three (3) applications to the
Australia Council grants program per calendar year, any additional applications
to the Government programs managed by the Australia Council do not count.

We define a ‘group’ as two or more individuals who do not
form a legally constituted organisation.
This can include co-collaborators and collectives. Groups are not eligible to apply to programs
open only to organisations.

An ‘organisation’ is a legally constituted organisation
that is registered or created by law. For example, incorporated associations,
companies limited by guarantee or government statutory authorities are all
defined as organisations. Organisations that are not legally constituted are
not eligible to apply for funding in grant categories that are open to
organisations only. Organisations may be required to provide a certificate of
incorporation or evidence of their current legal status. Funding programs for organisations are not
intended for sole traders or partnerships.

No. Only Australian citizens and Australian permanent
residents may apply to the Australia Council for funding. Foreign nationals who
are permitted to live and work in Australia by holding visas such as a Special
Category visa or a Bridging visa are not eligible to apply.

What we fund

Yes. Organisations can propose a program of projects
and/or activities. This could be an organisation’s full artistic program for a
given calendar year or more, for example.

We encourage applicants to be mindful of the following
considerations:

The activities should each contribute toward a
clear, unifying overall objective – for
example, the organisation's artistic
vision. It is important to demonstrate
the rationale for the inclusion of these activities and how the overall program
will align with the organisation's vision.

In proposing a program consisting of multiple
projects or activities, it is possible that some individual projects may be
less compelling than others. If you are submitting an application proposing
multiple activities or projects, we encourage you to ensure that a similar
level of consideration, planning, and artistic merit is common to each to avoid
one component of your program potentially letting down the others.

You
may wish to consider using one of the 3 URLs you can provide as support
material to link to a document that provides more detail about each individual
project or activity in your program.

Applications that focus solely on academic studies, or are for activities that are part of assessable coursework are unlikely to be successful with our assessment panels. Assessment panels are also unlikely to support applications requesting the costs of academic fees or courses.

If you wish to apply for study costs, explain to the panel how your project extends, or supplements, the course’s standard curriculum requirements. Also, bear in mind that your project will be assessed on artistic merit of the work.

If you are applying for a Career Development Grant for funding to complete a training program, course, workshop or diploma, explain how doing so will impact positively on your career or practice.

Yes. We accept applications in languages other than English, including Auslan.

If any part of your application requires translation into English, please contact the Grants Enquiry Team at least four weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply. We will use our best and all reasonable endeavours to assist in having some or all of the material translated. However we reserve the right to refuse an application in a language other than English if we believe there is no genuine reason to accept such an application, or if the time-frame for translation precludes us from making the materials available for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

If you wish to request an application form in a language other than English, please contact the Grants Enquiry Team at least 12 weeks before the closing date of the round to which you intend to apply.

We reserve the right to refuse an application form translation request if we believe there is no genuine reason for the request. We also reserve the right to refuse an application form translation if the time-frame for translation prevents us from providing a translated form in time for assessment in the round to which it was submitted.

Where you have supplied creative content in a language other than English, we may engage an industry expert to provide the peers with an evaluation of the artistic merit of that creative content.

You can speak with staff at the Australia Council in your first language. Please telephone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 (local call anywhere in Australia) and ask to be connected with the Australia Council.

While we can support screen-based art, we do not
generally support activities associated with feature film, television or
documentary. See Screen Australia, the Federal Government’s primary agency for
production of Australian screen activity. http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/

Yes. Creative
research and development is a key component of the creative process and can be
funded through our Arts Projects grants.
You can apply for funding for activity that will benefit your career as
an artist or arts worker through Development Grants for Individuals and Groups.

Your application

Community
Arts and Cultural Development practice is a community-based arts practice and
can engage any art form. There are many variations of how community arts and
cultural development works are made, developed and shared, and as such, there
is no one model. What is at the core of this practice, however, is the
collaboration between professional artists and communities to create art. The
activity must be undertaken by with and for the communities involved. The
artists and arts working facilitating the project should be highly skilled in
these processes, and the activities should reflect the energy and qualities of
the community.

Australia
Council staff are available to assist you in understanding the purpose of the
grant, application requirements, and submitting your application. Staff can
assist over email, phone and using Skype. We cannot review application drafts.

Additional
support can be discussed where needed. Where the additional support required is
beyond the scope of what our staff can provide, we may recommend speaking to an
appropriate organisation for further assistance.

You can have your application assessed by the multi-art
form peer panel if your project involves multiple separate art form-specific
activities. This could include, for example: a festival that incorporates
music, literature and theatre, or a project that has no one specific arts
practice focus. However, if your project
does involve more than one area of arts practice, you still have the option to
choose one of the single art form panels, which you think will best relate to
your work, to assess your application.

Our multi-art form assessment panels are made up of
artists and arts workers from a range of art form areas. Peers may include
those from specific art form areas (e.g. music or visual arts), peers who work
across a number of art forms, and/or peers who work in interdisciplinary
practice.

In this context, the term ‘emerging’, refers to emerging
art forms, not artists who are at the emerging stage of their careers.

Emerging and experimental arts practice is characterised by the
exploration of challenging new concepts in the creation and experience of
arts and culture. It plays with or invents new forms, methodologies,
technologies or explores non-material ideas. These sometimes include
art/science research collaborations, bio art, live art, socially engaged
practices and new technologies. For more information about how we define
Emerging and Experimental Arts read the EEA
- Frequently Asked Questions.

If you’re unsure about which art form panel best fits with your
project, we recommend you contact the Grants
Enquiry Team to discuss further.

Yes. Projects must have a start date that falls after we
notify you of the outcome of your application, and no later than one year from
that date. We will notify you of the outcome of your application approximately
12 weeks after the closing date.

The best applications are those where the voice of the
artist comes through. Where possible you, ‘the artist’, should write your
application. Your manager may administer the grant on your behalf to undertake
the financial and reporting requirements.

Budgeting

We encourage our applicants to seek funding from other
sources to cover the complete costs of their projects. While it does depend on
the size of your grant request to us, we would expect that applicants with
large grant requests would also secure funding from elsewhere to cover all
costs associated with a large scale project.

Yes. The Australia
Council expects that artists professionally employed or engaged on Australia
Council-funded activities will be remunerated for their work in line with
industry standards. Payment of artist fees should be reflected in your
application budget.

Yes. The Australia Council recognises that funding may be
required for access costs incurred by applicants with disability, or for costs
associated with working with artists with disability - who may have particular
access needs (e.g. use of an interpreter, translation services, specific
technical equipment, support worker/carer assistance). Access costs are viewed
as legitimate expenses and may be included in an applicant’s budget. The
Australia Council encourages applicants to ensure that their work is accessible
to everyone. Therefore, budgets may also include costs associated with making
activities accessible to a wide range of people (e.g. performances using
Auslan, captioning, audio description, temporary building adjustments,
materials in other formats such as Braille or CD).

Grants can be considered income by Centrelink. The amount is
generally assessed as a lump sum and could affect your Centrelink payment for
the financial year. Artists who are running a business (even on a small scale)
may have their grant treated differently. It is possible to have
your grant paid to an administering body if you wish.

Applicants should contact Centrelink on 13 28 50 for advice.
Additionally, Centrelink’s Financial Information Service (FIS) is an education
and information service available to everyone in the community and may be of
benefit to applicants who also receive assistance through the social security
system. To contact FIS phone 13 23 00.

Grants
paid by the Australia Council may be considered part of your income in a
financial year and may be subject to tax. You must determine your own taxation
liabilities. We suggest you consult your financial adviser or contact the
Australian Taxation Office on 13 28 66.

No. The Australia Council encourages applicants whose
projects will take place in regional and remote locations to budget accurately
and realistically, as it is recognised that costs may differ between regions
and major cities.

Our grants
program is primarily designed to support projects that have a defined start and
end date, rather than ongoing organisational administration costs. Project
budgets that include a high proportion of administration costs may be less
competitive. However, if you do need funding to cover administration costs directly
related to the delivery of your project, you can include them in your grant
request.

The application form
calculates your grant request as the difference between your total cash income,
and your total cash costs. The gap between these two numbers is the grant
request. In-kind contributions are not included in this calculation.

No. The Australia Council cannot provide any
advice on visa or immigration matters. You must contact the relevant embassy
and DFAT to get current information. We suggest you allow plenty of time to
apply for all international visas.

The capacity to accommodate children and
partners varies for different residencies. Please check the program
descriptions for specific requirements. At present, residencies that could
potentially accommodate a family (dependant on the number of individuals)
include HIAP in Helsinki, ACME in London, and BR Whiting in Rome. Please note
that the programs that are limited to the participating artist only, have
various limitations e.g. communal living and/or working space or modest living
quarters.

The Australia Council will offer residencies
annually, and the round will fall in the second half of the calendar year. The
International Residencies Program is dynamic and responsive and the programs on
offer may vary from year to year. Please check our website prior to the annual
closing date for information on which residencies will be offered.

You can apply for up to three residencies per
round. However, you will need to consider how the panel will perceive your
commitment to a particular residency program and/or market if you have applied
for multiple residencies. Each residency requires a separate application and
will count towards your limit of three applications per calendar year.

The grant is a contribution from the
Australia Council toward your travel (including airfares and travel insurance)
and living costs during the residency period. Applicants are expected to
research the cost of living in the residency location they are travelling to.
You may need to supplement the grant with your own funds depending on your
projected costs for the residency period.

The Australia Council partners with
established and reputable residency providers and each program is unique.
Successful applicants will be provided with detailed information about each
residency and introductions to the residency providers who will assist artists
with making local connections. Australia Council staff are able to provide
further advice and contacts, as requested. Australia Council’s International
Development Managers, across North Asia, Europe, and North America, are also
available as an additional resource.

Artists are also expected to have their own resources, contacts and project
plans for the residency.

Artists with a disability funding

If you select the ‘Arts and Disability’ panel
your application will be assessed by a panel of industry professionals across
art forms and across states and territories; the majority of whom will identify
as an artist with disability.

All applications for funding must use our
Online System, however you are welcome to prepare your application in any way
that is accessible to you (for example other formats can include Auslan, audio,
video, printed, dictated, electronic and handwritten formats). Please speak
with a grants officer about your particular circumstance.

If a person is unable to complete the
application form themselves, a support worker or other person assisting with
the application can sign on behalf of the applicant. If this is the case, we
reserve the right to go back to the applicant at any time for confirmation.

Australia Council staff can discuss your
project with you and answer any specific questions you have in relation to the
assessment criteria and how to complete and submit your application. If you
need assistance writing your application, you may wish to contact one of the
arts and disability peak bodies, who may be able to assist you.

The Australia Council has a statutory
requirement to publish the names of recipients of all of our grants. Therefore
the names of successful applicants will appear in a list of projects assessed
and approved by the Arts and Disability Panel. If your application is
successful, please contact us and we can ensure that in all other promotional
material about this funding we can take account of your wish not to be
identified.

If you wish to be considered for the arts and disability specific
funding, please select ‘Arts and Disability funding panel’ on the application
form. However artists with a disability are also welcome to apply to any of our
assessment panels

This can be difficult, as we do not wish to
indirectly receive applications from organisations, as this funding is only
open to Individuals and Groups; and organisations have a wider range of funding
options available to them. Eligible groups should have a track record of
working together and have plans to work together into the future.

Four Year Funding for Organisations

Yes, provided you meet the eligibility
requirements for the Four-year funding program. As competition levels will be
high, and competitive organisations will need to be able to articulate a
five-year vision for their organisation, we strongly recommend that you contact
a Grants Officer to discuss your application first.

We draw our peer panels from our pool of
registered peers. Peers are chosen by virtue of their knowledge and experience
and are equipped to make a fair and informed assessment of artistic work and
grant applications. Your application will be assessed by one of our nine arts
practice specific assessment panels.

You can include costs associated with
international activity in your application for Four-Year Funding. We encourage
you to project and factor these costs into your four-year funding period where
necessary. Please speak to a Grants Officer for further information.

Yes, however you may submit only one Arts
Project for Organisations application per calendar year, regardless of the
outcome. However Four Year Funded Organisations may apply for projects listed
under Other Grants and Opportunities on our website.

Four Year Funded Organisations in receipt of
Catalyst funding that concludes after September 2018, will not be eligible to
apply for an Arts Project grant in 2018.